The Savvy Sewer Salon at Sawyer Brook

Anyone have books on their list with a sewing or handcrafts theme? Last year bhhewitt posted a suggested book with an embroidery theme. I took the suggestion and added it to my list...just finished it! The Tenth Gift by ane Johnson is an easy read for summer days with the underlyng theme of a handcraft that spans the centuries from the 17th to the 21st. Set in Cornwall England and Morocco, this historical fiction gives insight into two battling cultures and the common love of fine needlework. I definitely recommend...thanks Barbara!!

Speaking of books with a sewing theme, I recently received a comment on my blog from an author who is writing a novel with a character who has a fabric collection.. I told her to let us know when its published!!

Anyone else have recommendations for books this summer?

OK, here's my next review for light summer reading.

Very Valentine

I first heard an interview of the author, Adriana Trigiani, on the Today Show. I’m not much for current fiction, but the story line intrigued me. The plot is cast around a family custom shoe business that was founded in Italy in 1903 and the novel opens in present time with the great granddaughter, Valentina, trying to learn the business and save it from failure. Although the characters are not familiar to me, the love of fabric and design is. The author weaves in descriptions of the fabrications and embellishments along with a lot about the process of building a custom shoe. I also enjoyed the character’s personal insights such as her description of the need for “alone time” and of her design process --interesting and familiar to those who create. This is supposedly the first of a trilogy. I will look forward to the rest of the series.

Still hoping others will have some reading suggestions that will whet our appetite.

The Friday Night Knitting Club, by Kate Jacobs

This is true chick-lit--light and predictable, but a friend and I both read it and found a few "truisms" that were worth remembering. Lots of descriptions of the creative process, the benefits of creative pursuits, the bond of female friendship. I would recommend for a relaxing read.

Did anyone else read sewing related fiction this summer? I have a few short reviews on Sewing How to books which I'll post soon in the Tried and True portion of the salon. Add your favorites or newly found resources there.